Sidewalk cleaner



June 1 1, v v PAPPAS 1,716,661 I SIDEWALK CLEANER INVENTOR Li ATTORNEY,

June 11 1929. Q v

' sIDEwALK CLEANER Filed June 3,. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet Patented June 11, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

DENISPAPPAS, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

SIDEWALK CLEANER.

Application filed. June 3, 1927.

This invention relates to devices adapted for the scraping and cleaning of sidewalks and for similar purposes, and more particularly relates to a portable machine for the cleaning of snow and ice from sidewalks and other surfaces.

In the case of snow and ice ordinary scraping operations are very often slow or ineffectual and chipping has to be resorted to in order to break the material awayfrom the sidewalk to which it may strongly adhere. Furthermore, the thickness of the material to be removed and its resistance to removal varies considerably. It is, therefore an object of this-invention to provide an easily portable device of a mechanical nature which may be operated both as a scraper and as a chipping tool in a manner greatly facilitating the removal of snow, ice or other material from the sidewalk, ground or other surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a scraping and chipping tool with an inclined supporting frame on which it is movable into and out of contact with the work, together with meansfor raising the tool on its frame by hand or otherwise, means for releasing the tool when raised to a predetermined eXtent and reaction means causing the tool to descend with a striking motion down the frame into contact with the work when it is so released.

A further object is'to provideforregulm tion of the stroke of the scraper-tool whereby the force of its blow on the work may be varied, and a further object is to provide for adj ustably limiting the downward movement of the tool so that it may be withheld from injuring the sidewalk or the surface from which material is being removed.

The invention also contemplates the combination with the frame structureof thedevice of a supporting structure for the said frame capable of adjustntient to raise the device out of operative position with the relation to the work, and to act at such a time as a skid for means of facilitating transportation of the device from one place to another.

Many advantages resulting from the nature of'the invention hereinafterbecome apparent as the said invention is more particularly described.

In carrying the said invention into effect, I may adopt the novel constrtutiou and an Serial No. 196,302.

rangement of parts hereinafter described havlng reference to the accompanying drawmgs, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sidewalk cleaning machine embodying the said invention;

Figure 2 is a similar view to Figure 1, but

shown partly in section and with parts of the Similar characters of reference indicate similar parts in the seve 'alfigures of the drawings. y

A generally indicates an inclined frame comprising side members 1 approaching each other and connected at their lower ends by a plate 2, their upper ends being spaced by a further plate 3 and having a handle 1 mount ed therebetween. Said f ame has afront leg or strut 5 pivoted at 6 and rear legs 7 secured at 8. Rear legs 7 are connected intermediate of their length by a crossbar Stand 9 are braces extendingforwardly-from said cross bar tosaid frame for the maintaining of the said legs 7 rigid in use.

Extending rearwardly from the strut 5 is an adjusting bar 10 notched at 11 and 12for engagement with the said crossbar 8 whereby the engagement of the notch'12will retain the said strut 5 in its frame supporting position'shown in Figure 1. whereas engagement of the notch 11 with the said crossbar will maintain strut 5 raised out of supporting position. as shown in FigureQ. The strut 5 is shown as being provided with a skid or shoe 13, and the leg 7 withrearwardly bent portions or skids 1 1 to-facilitate the device being hushed over the ground'wh'enthe strut 5 is in its snpporting'position.

Slidably mounted on the said frame is a scraper 15 carrying a scraper or chip- ;ang tent is at :1ts-l.o'\;ver-enc1 midguiled. be=

neath a crosspiece 17 on the side members 1 of the frame, the said bar having secured thereto, above the said crosspieee 17 a bracket 18. Between this bracket and the said crosspiece 17 are extended tension springs 19.

Slidably mounted on the upper part of the bar is a racl' 20, which is provided at its lower end with a plate 21, the edges of which are slidable longitudinally of the frame in guide members 22 and 23, and this plate 21 carries a. latch bar 23 pivoted to a lug 2st and carrying a latch 25, which normally projects through the under side of the said plate 21. This latch depressed into its projecting position by a spring pressed lever 26.

27 is a gear engaging the rack and adapted through the agency of gears 28 and 29 to operate the said rack for its raising and lowering when the operating handle 30 is raised or lowered shown in full and dotted lines, respectively, in Figure 1, the said gearing being suitably mounted on frame members 31 and 82 mounted above the frame members 1 for that purpose.

The bar 15 has an opening 33 therein adapted to receive a latch when the rack 20 is moved downwardly or forwardly by the depressing of the said handle 30, so that this movement of the handle results in the locking of the rack 20 to the bar 15 of the chipping tool 16, so that when the handle being again raised the upward movement of the rack 20 will be accompanied by a corre sponding movement therewith of the bar 15 against the resistance of the tension springs 19. To offset this resistance, further tension springs 34; are secured at 35 to the side members 1 and have their free ends attached to chains 36 which pass over pulleys 37 at the upper end of the structure and are attached to the plate 21 of the rack 20. These sprin 31- contract as the springs 19 are extended upon the raising of the handle 30, thereby facilitating this operation.

Between the guide 23 and the frame member 32 is a slidable block 38 carrying a trip arm 39 which extends into the path of the latch bar 23, the said block 38 carrying a detachable pin 39, which may be engaged with one or other of holes 10 in the frame member 32 for the adjustment of the said block along the said frame member, so that the point of contact between the latch bar 23 and the trip arm 39 may be regulated.

lVhen the incl 20 with the bar 15 latched thereto is raised to an extent where the latch bar 25 engages the arm 39, further movement in that direction will result in the raising of the latch bar by the arm 39 and the withdrawal of the latch 25 from the orifice 33 of the said bar 15, thereby disconnecting the bar 15 from the rack 20. As a consequence, the tension springs 19 then come into operation to violently thrust the said bar 15 forwardly and downwardly on the frame cansing the chipping tool 16 to operate against material in its path. The procedure de scribed may be continued with great frequency by lowering and raising the handle 30 as required, and if the chipping tool 16 be given a progressive movement over the surface to be cleared, such clearing may be rapidly and eiliciently effected.

The guide member may be also perforated as'at 11 to receive a pin 12, which may be utilized as a stop to limit the upward movement of the plate 21 and prevent the unla-tching of the bar 15 from the rack 20, so that the operating of the tool 16 may be effected in both directions by the operating of the handle 30, instead of in only one direction thereby; or .the said pin -12 may be utilized as a stop to lock the tool in a raised position when not in use.

The described device, therefore, comprises a means of storing energy during the raising of the chipping tool to provide for a forceful downward thrust thereof against material to be removed and permits this action to be repeated quickly and easily so that for such purposes as the cleaning of ice from sidewalks the machine is admirably suited.

The invention admits of considerable variation in construction and design, and it is desired that the specification be regarded only as an illustration as one form of the device which may be adopted. It will be understood that although the device is described as a hand operated device, it may readily be adapted to power operation as a mechanical expedient if so desired.

What I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, an inclined frame, a. tool slid-able on said frame, a rack also slidablc 011 said frame adapted to engage the sliding tool, means for engaging said rack with said tool including a slidable bolt, a handle adapted to move said rack with said tool upwardly of said frame, retractile means resisting the raising of said tool, and releasing mechanism operable upon the raising of said tool to draw the sliding bolt out of engagement therewith to detach said rack therefrom whereby said retractile means are permitted to thrust said tool downwardly on said frame independently of said rack.

2. In a device of the class described, an inclined frame, a tool slidable on said frame, a rack also slidable on said frame, a latch on said rack adapted to engage said tool, means for raising said rack with said tool on said frame, retractile means resisting the raising of said tool, and means releasing said latch from said tool upon the raising thereof to a required extent, said means including an adjustable finger carried by the supporting frame.

3. In a device of the class described, an inclined frame, a tool slidable on said frame, a rack also slidable on said frame, a latch on said rack for engaging said tool, means for raising said rack with said tool on said frame, retractile means resisting the ralsing of said 'tool, and a latch releasing device adjustable on said frame for releasing said tool from said rack when raised to a predetermined extent.

4. In a device of the class described, an inclined frame, a tool slidable thereon, a hand operated member also slidable thereon, means for connecting said member with said tool including a slidable bolt pivotally attached to the hand operated members means for raisingsaid connected member and tool on said frame, retractile means resisting the raising of said tool, and releasing mechanism disconnecting said member from said tool when they are raised.

5. A surface cleaning device, according to claim 4, wherein said disconnecting means is adjustable to determine the extent which the tool is raised before disconnection.

6. In a surface cleaning device of the class described, an inclined frame, a tool slidable on said frame, a handle adapted to move said tool upwardly on said frame, retractile means against the resistance of which said tool is raised, and releasing mechanism operable upon the raising of said tool by said handle to disconnect said tool therefrom whereby said retractile means are permitted to thrust said tool downwardly on said frame, wherein said frame is provided with adjustable supports adapted to raise and lower the frame relative to a surface towards which the tool is directed,-said supports in their frame elevating adjustment operating as runners for said device.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

DENIS PAPPAS. 

